The Salisbury Police Department is searching for two missing children, 2-year-old Igh’Jhlan Silver and 3-year-old Prasjhas Reid. The victims are believed to be with Kevin Antonio Smith. Smith is believed to be in a Gray 2023 Nissan Altima with NC license tag number Khb1698.

Salisbury Police Department issues Amber Alert for 2 missing children

We’re also following pro-Palestinian demonstration at UNC after more than 12 hours later. Plus, a 6-month old shot and injured, and another person dead in a shooting. Watch WRAL NEWS at 11 and search for these and other stories on WRAL.com

On WRAL at 11 : Summer-like heat in our area. When we see 90 degrees next week. Plus video of mega tornadoes in the Midwest

Homeowners insurance doesn't cover floods, so purchasing separate flood insurance is crucial in North Carolina, especially in high-risk areas.

Homeowners insurance doesn't cover floods: How to protect your home in North Carolina

Princeville residents weigh options after Hurricane Matthew

Athens Drive Magnet High School and Conn Magnet Elementary School won national awards Saturday at the Magnet Schools of America's annual conference.

Top two magnet schools in the US are in Wake County

Athens Drive High School

All assets associated with the tag: Franklin Graham

Franklin Graham Coverage

Franklin Graham, CEO and president of Samaritan's Purse and the Billy Graham Association, is calling for a day of prayer for the people of Afghanistan on Sunday.



Franklin Graham declares Sunday as day of prayer for Afghanistan

How to Help Afghan Refugees and the Relief Effort

Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2020 -- Donald Trump's presidency, like his life, has been the epitome of dishonesty, selfishness, personal indulgence, pettiness, bigotry and deceit. Yet, Graham took to Facebook to liken to Judas, the 10 Republicans in the U.S. House who voted to impeach President Donald Trump. "It makes you wonder what the thirty pieces of silver were that (House) Speaker (Democrat Nancy) Pelosi promised for this betrayal." Truth is, it was a vote of conscience and a stand for decency and democracy by the 10 GOP legislators.

Editorial: What about Trump is worth betraying basic principles?

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While cheering President Donald Trump's ideas for "opening up America" amid COVID-19, the Rev. Franklin Graham suggested on Facebook that Trump's "enemies and the liberal media" want a prolonged national shutdown in order to prevent Trump from being re-elected.

Fact check: Franklin Graham says Sweden avoided infection without lockdown

PolitiFact checks Franklin Graham on April 27, 2020.

Franklin Graham visited the Samaritan's Purse field hospital in Central Park, where volunteers from the North Carolina based non-profit are helping serve at the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic.

it's raining Yes Yeah we had quite the thunderstorm Ah just a little bit ago First of all I've started recording this session and so I need you to um I need you to go ahead and let me know that uh uh we are recording this for possible broadcast on television and over the web and that you know that we're doing that And I know that you're recording it for broadcast I'm ready You're ready Great Well let's just get real started Tell me a little bit about you What you're doing And more importantly why do you do it myself personally Yes S o My name's Ken Isaacs on vice president programs and government relations with Samaritan Spurs I've been with the organization for 31 years and I do this I love my work I have the best job in the world I love it And I actually uh um m affirmed in energized by it every day every month every year And uh I've had the opportunity to work in over 150 countries And right now I'm in New York City I feel like this is something God has called me to in my life and uh I truly feel called the world I can't explain it but uh So here I am in the store has been open to numb in New York City today in the rain Uh where we have Ah right behind me like 100 feet Uh we have a 68 bed hospital that uh it we're retreating Kobe patients And this morning I think we have about probably 45 or 50 patients in the hospital Did you ever think you've traveled to more than 100 countries Many of them I'm sure Third world countries Did you ever see yourself fighting a medical outbreak like this here in the United States No I didn't imagine I could have I did imagine that there could be like a uh some kind of a mass trauma situation from hurricane or a tornado And it would be so big There are in earthquake that we would need to set up a trauma hospital but I never imagine infectious disease facility but because of our Ebola work and 2014 in Liberia and then the Ebola work that we did 2019 and we're still doing it now in Congo We do have quite a bit of experience with infectious disease We've built capabilities to respond to that I just never imagined we would deploy it in the U S Why else Now you said your title is vice president  Now it sounds like you should be doing an office job Man what you doing out in the field Well actually I'm in office It's not very luxurious but it's about eight foot square  So I came to New York for a couple of reasons One Um it's It's a complicated environment to work in and everything Richard when you're working in humanitarian assistance is about humanitarian access It doesn't matter if you're going to Afghanistan or to Syria or Iraq or Bangladesh It doesn't matter You need to get access So it's really in a way it's no different in New York You need to get the permissions from officials and you know uh so I'm here helping get a situated in seeing what more we can do Um I want to give some senior leadership to the team and I want to be here with my team and encourage them So I'm a field guy and uh always like in the field You said you used the word team and it's not just a team of your people there but you've developed a team of churches and organizations up there How has it been coordinating yourself with different groups up there Well a CZ faras groups that are actually giving health care delivery Um I haven't seen any other groups that are doing that in the way that we are We're working closely with Mount Sinai Hospital There have been a fantastic partner and uh we've got the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association chaplain's here that are working with the police department with hospital staff They're available for patient uh discussion and prayer You know when they're when they're requested And we've got some partner churches in the outer lying areas of up in Brooklyn and over in Queens that have are helping some covert patients particularly homeless patients and that Aaron Indigent And so uh we've been handing closed supplying clothes and items like that to them to help them a hospital in Central Park Truly that's iconic and something that will be talked about for years to come Well it's certainly will in my life and uh uh  So you know you think about we were talking earlier According to your question Ever imagine anything in uh the US No New York City No but in Central Park that's like a pile of ground in the heart of the city  And when we came here it was not quite two weeks ago Um the uh the people look the mayor's office just said Okay you looked at that side and central court  You guys go there You do what you need to do and we will get all the permits and the approvals that you need and they've done that They've been fantastic really to work with Tell me a little bit about the hospital What are you doing there So we're receiving uh cove in 19 patients Uh they're coming to us from the Mount Sinai system  They drive through a gate they pull up uh uh behind the screen that's closed for patient privacy The patients are unloaded and they're making down We've got a one of a very large negative pressurized tent You know when you open the door of the air sucks in and all that air is filtered through a HEPA filter to keep the pathogens capture We've got uh 10 And I see you units in there with 10 ventilators and not everybody who's in the I C U is on event And uh so it's It's very much of a community kind of feeling there And we've gotten very positive feedback from our partners over at Mount Sinai the docks that have come over and see what we're doing and how we're doing it And then the next big tent down is the step down 10 when somebody improves and they don't need quite as much Uh you know maybe they don't need to come off the ventilator They don't need this much intensive observation Then come down to the step down and then we get down to the regular wards where people are recuperating preparing for discharge So uh we're taking care of Kobe patients other on ventilators and we're probably discharging five a nine a day and then they're replenishing that those patients air coming in  So it's been busy Oh yeah yeah yeah No it's It's real busy I'm gonna look at the board here Ah right now we have 43 patients I think somebody's getting me that information I'll give you the the update of what it is  It changes all the time Oh no We have you guys You guys have planned a second hospital I think at a nearby cathedral What's going on with that Okay let me have said Let me just give you our number 52 total patients  Right now we have nine in the I C U six Um our ah on intubated with ventilation We have seven to step down 36 in the wards Said those numbers changed every day Yes Oh sure we more hospital beds or needed And right now it's a precarious time Because if you've been listening to the reports I'm sure you have You know that um uh it looks like the numbers could be peaking this apex Okay And in Italy where we also have the same setup hospital the numbers have peak and they're now going steadily down But in New York since it's been talked about for the last two or three days traffic is out People out walking around and that's raising concerns that it isn't gonna be a peek at the infection will continue to spread But another thing is that when the disease peaks and the number of new admissions every day goes down the deaths will go up But the deaths or what happened two weeks ago That's when those people got sick and then they're dying now  So it's It's sort of this inverted kind of weird thing and s So we were talking with Saint John the Divine Cathedral about setting up Ah 200 bed facility there and this morning I just came from meetings with Mount Sinai and uh Mount Sinai has asked us to instead of putting it there given the circumstances with the epidemiology And they're concerned that outlier hospitals may not have a long life of being tolerated by the city if we would come in and help them with some of their pods that they have built in their hospital right across the street I think they have two pods and their entrances each with 35 patients and then at the old Beth Israel Hospital downtown They're refurbishing six floors reopening it They've got three of those Rennie and so we're looking now instead of doing this expansion in the cathedral to expanding the capacity inside of rooms that are existing in the Mount Sinai system So this is all in the flux right now Um now here's an odd thing someone pointed out here that Ah I mean you can't get much more biblical than this during the holy week and we're fighting what's basically a plague Does that hit you is any sort of symbolism Well you know I don't know I'm a pragmatic person and uh this is Easter This is when uh you know a za Christian This is when we celebrate the resurrection of Christ And this Friday will be good Friday is today Friday or Thursday after tomorrow Today's Thursday It's it's trash pickup day here Okay And um um I think you know to me honestly the symbolism is that man is a polling creature and salvation comes to Christ and we're going to celebrate that Sunday Uh and I will be here This is where we'll celebrate You know I will celebrate Easter with my team here and uh so that's that's the symbolism But I'm not drawing a direct connection between a you know a plague of biblical proportions which I could argue that it is Um but uh I'm gonna put my faith and risen Savior Absolutely Let me ask you this real quick You're wearing the mask CDC just came out with a um you know a guidance that we should wear them in public You're in your office though Why The mask isn't that important Well uh so I'm in a 100% cove it positive zone There's an infectious hospital there There's an infectious hospital there And I have two other people in here and we're about six or eight feet apart It's a small space And the only time I take my mask off is when I'm sitting about eight feet from anybody and I'm going to eat or drink And then when I go to my room at night I'll decontaminate myself and take my mask off But I think it's probably something Lam 67 I don't want to get sick And uh uh it's something I'll probably wear for a while When I get back to Boone am I gonna wear a mask Yeah I am fantastic Is there anything I haven't asked you about that you want to talk about Well um I would say that um we have an advantage having a hospital in Italy where they have a disease trajectory Probably about 10 days 12 days ahead of us So our team and Italy is learning things about patient care They're communicating in real time back here So that's actually helping us because we're out 12 days ahead and we're here and we can share lessons And the other thing is I just wanna say what a groovy great group of people we have working in Italy end in New York These people are dedicated They come here voluntarily and uh uh they just there's did It's so impressive They're professionals and they're fearless and courageous and I just love him I appreciate him so much Absolutely And I had a chance the other week to talk to your crew over in Italy I think I had a chance to talk with your crew over in Italy was very impressed with them as well So thank you so much for your time I know you're rather busy this morning so and uh on a rainy Thursday in New York uh once again really appreciate everything you do and uh we will ah talk with you again Maybe perhaps before this is all over But let's hope it's over Quickly Thank you Richard Thanks for covering the story Give me the thing We'll squeak once again Tell me your name and what do you do So my name is Ken Isaacs I s A A C s And I am the vice president of Programs and government relations We're Americans first Thank you sir Have a wonderful day to buy

Samaritan's Purse gives behind-the-scenes look at Central Park field hospital in New York

Franklin Graham visits field hospital in NYC

Franklin Graham's North Carolina-based organization brings battle zone experience to New York City in the fight against coronavirus.

Step inside Samaritan's Purse field hospital in NYC

Samaritan's Purse COVID-19 field hospital in New York Central Park

Evangelist Franklin Graham kicked off his revival tour in Fayetteville Tuesday night.

Franklin Graham begins 'Decision America Tour' before thousands in Fayetteville

Franklin Graham begins statewide tour in Fayetteville

Franklin Graham began his eight-city tour across the state on Tuesday in Fayetteville. WRAL's Aaron Thomas spoke with those who attended and protesters who were also at the event.

Franklin Graham is asking his followers to set June 2 as a day of prayer for President Donald Trump, to strengthen him against his enemies.

Franklin Graham calls for day of prayer to 'protect, strengthen' the president

Franklin Graham

Sunday, April 28, 2019 -- In a recent tweet, Franklin Graham blasted Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg for having the nerve to be publicly gay. Homosexuality, said Graham, was not something to be "flaunted." He called on Buttigieg to instead repent. It was a typically ripe bite of bigotry from Graham. As before, there are some things to remember: Graham does not represent most Americans. Graham also doesn't represent most Christians.

GUEST EDITORIAL: The gloriously growing irrelevance of Franklin Graham

Buttigieg Swears Off the Lobbyist Money He Once Accepted 

Facebook has apologized to evangelist Franklin Graham after temporarily banning him from the site due to a April 2016 post about North Carolina's House Bill 2, known as "the bathroom bill."